Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth co-director Naoki Hamaguchi recently shared his goal of allowing players to “feel more empathy with Sephiroth” during his playable segments in the upcoming sequel to the 1997 classic. In an interview with Everyeye, Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase discussed the remake in detail, from remaking the classic to changes made to its story and gameplay.

The decision to allow players to control Sephiroth during a specific sequence came from the team wanting to deepen the player’s understanding of his character and motivations. Hamaguchi explained that they wanted to add a “surprise effect” to this moment and allowing players to control Sephiroth was the best way to create a bond with the user. He emphasized that making Sephiroth playable adds an emotional layer to future encounters with the character.

Set to launch on February 29, 2024, exclusively for PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is essentially part two of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It picks up where the previous game left off and is expected to feature nearly 100 hours of adventure. Creative director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that Rebirth won’t be getting any DLC. Be sure to check out the Black Friday gaming deals guide for discounts on games and fantastic early offers on video game deals.